I never answered the phone on our floor. My jobs came from waiting at the union hall so I never expected calls. That day however, I was apparently the only one on the floor and the phone rang every five minutes. I answered it.
I said "Hello" rather irritably and there was a pause before a soft female voice returned the hello.
"Who do you need" I asked.
"Carol".
"Not here. Went to see her mother."
"Do you have her mother's phone number?"
"No," I lied.
A very disappointed "Oh" followed.
A bell rang in my head. "Is this Gloria?"
"Yes. Do I know you?"
"In a way. I was Carol's inspiration during her tryouts."
Excitement suddenly appeared in her voice. "You are right. I feel I know you already."
"Did you get the part?"
"Yes but don't tell her I want to tell her myself." Do you know if she got the part?"
"No;" I again lied. She has been gone since the day after the audition. She will be back Friday and I am taking her out to dinner. I would very much like for you to join us."
"I couldn't get between you and her on a date. I would feel like a third wheel."
"I am the one that is going to be the third wheel. It seems you two have lots to talk about and I will be happy to be the escort of two lovely ladies. It will enhance my reputation in town."
"You're sure?"
"Positive."
"Tell me where to meet you."
I was very glad that I had arranged the meeting on a street corner. I had not told Carol that Gloria was joining us.Their greeting was loud and effusive. As Carol started to introduce me Gloria flew into my arms and gave me a hard open mouth, sneaky tongue kiss.
She turned to Carol and said "he is the reason I have been standing at this corner waiting for you for twenty minutes. The cop over there was wondering if I was turning tricks. I could have by the way."
Carol hugged me tightly and gave me a kiss that was probably illegal.
After I caught my breath I asked,"Um....say, do either of you have interesting news to share?"
I could see both inhale to near bursting and and simultaneously announce "I got the part!"
Stunned looks and silence gripped both before the loud screaming, jump up and down dance started. It was followed a hug and kiss that was more than just the hug and kiss of happy friends.
I steered us to the restaurant confident that we would not be thrown out because most of their exuberance was now out of the way.
I was right in thinking that I would become the third wheel. In fact for most of the dinner I bordered on invisible. Still, since it was what I had expected I was content to just listen to their banter while noting the very flirtatious behavior of each for the other.
I watched Carol as she and Gloria recounted the moment each knew they had won the part on a major show. She looked very attractive. Her face could be described as handsome, a term no longer used for women but once meant a fine face with character. A fascinating face. Apparently the face Gloria had seen all along.
Dinner was delicious but I doubt either noticed.
It was OK, I had one more surprise up my sleeve.
After Carol won the part she also said she was not to reveal which cast members on which play they would be replacing. The only thing she volunteered was that she would be in rehearsals for the summer and that each role would be replaced at once. The show had been running for years and this was going to be the fourth cast change. The current headliner was staying on.
It took just one morning at the union hall to figure out which show it was.
After dinner I hailed a cab for the three of us and gave him a street address. I discreetly shushed him before he translated the address into the name of the Broadway theater out loud.
We were on the sidewalk in front of the theater before they noticed where we were. The look of surprise and amazement on their faces was phenomenal. Slowly they looked at each other searching for a clue as to who spilled the beans.
"Neither of you told me" I said. "Musicians are sneaky bastards you know."
I put an arm around each lady and pulled them into the theater with me.
I had called in a lot of favors for the tickets but they were perfect.
When the songs they sang at the audition were presented they each mouthed them all the way through.
After the show they applauded longer than anyone else and were giddy as we left the theater. I steered us around the corner and across the street to a small bar that attracted mostly musicians and some of the theater crowd.
I found a booth and made sure I would not be ignored by sitting between them. I need not have worried for as soon as we were situated the ladies took turns in sending their tongues down my throat. I was happy to see that the guys I knew in the band and at the bar had noticed. Points for me.
We drank, we sang. When the band took a break they visited our booth on their way to where their wives and girlfriends were. The girls were introduced to many people but I noticed that the only one to make an impression on them was the female second bartender named Marcie.
Marcie was a singer of torch songs and I had played behind her a few times. I liked Marcie a lot, we were comfortable with each other. When performing her long black hair cascaded well bellow her shoulders and framed her delicate face like a work of art. She wore black satin dresses and no bra, probably no panties. Many a lady wanted to dive under her dress and at times one got her wish. I had never seen a guy come close to getting lucky with her.
At the bar she wore a pony tail and no make up. Her uniform consisted of black slacks, a white dress shirt and red suspenders. I had the impression that her singing and bar tending careers were split evenly.
Marcie made sure we always had drinks.
Well into the night, as I was returning from the men's room, I noticed the girls in an agitated state and looking in the direction of a short, bejeweled, gentleman that was looking at them in vague recognition. He was in fact one of the producers on their show and I guessed he was wondering if the girls had violated their confidentiality agreement.
As he approached our booth I intercepted him and shook his hand while reminding him that my band had played at his son's Bar Mitzvah the previous weekend. I went on to thank him profusely for the generous tip he had given us.
